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Motion to try teens in alpaca beating as adults filed

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By Rick McCrabb and Lauren Pack, Staff Writers Updated 7:23 AM Tuesday, March 9, 2010

HAMILTON — Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper filed a motion today, March 8, to have the juveniles accused in the death of an alpaca tried as adults, according to Melissa Spurlock of the prosecutor’s office.

The 17-year-old Madison Twp. boys are charged with breaking and entering, grand theft, tampering with evidence and vandalism, all felonies, and animal cruelty, a second-degree misdemeanor, for allegedly stealing and beating to death a 3-month-old alpaca named Masterpiece from a Browns Run Road farm on Feb. 5.

Stacie Mullins, 22, of Madison Twp., is charged with complicity in the case. She is scheduled to appear in Middletown Municipal Court Wednesday, March 10, for a preliminary hearing.

The teens are scheduled to be in Butler County Juvenile Court Thursday, March 11, for a pre-trial hearing before Judge Kathleen Romans. It is unknown if the judge will decide at the hearing if the teens’ cases will be sent to adult court.

An animal autopsy, or necropsy, was performed on Masterpiece at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbus, according to Butler County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Craft.

“Just like with a human, we have to have evidence of a crime,” Craft said, noting the post-mortem examination of the alpaca was needed to prove it was beaten and not hit by a car or attacked by another animal.

Craft said detectives didn’t have the results of the necropsy.

Masterpiece has now been released to his owners, Jeffrey Pergram and Rebecca Hardin, who are planning a funeral for 3 p.m. today, Craft said.

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